Posted on Mar 18, 2015
Exactly how many uniforms does the Navy have? Why so many?
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So the other day I was in the USO at O'Hare airport and I saw a bunch of Navy folks in the black uniform. I swear it looks like the same one in which they wear in white. I know they have the "magical" uniform that turns bright orange if you fall into sea water. So how many uniforms so they have and what are their purpose?
Uniforms
Navy
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 14
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We do have a lot of uniforms. A lot of them come from Tradition and are separated by our SNCO/Officer and Junior enlisted. The Black one is like the White one, but we change with the seasons. There is no Magical uniform that Changes bright Orange, Not sure where that came from.
For the E-6 and Below:
NWU (Blue Cammy's, Most widely used) Everyday Work
NWU Type 3 (Green, For Seabee's, SPECOPS types) Everyday Work
Coveralls ( Underway uniform, designed to be fire resistant) Everyday Work Underway
NSU ( Khaki Top, Black trousers Equivalent to Class "B", Office environment work)
Dress Blue ( Winter Dress Uniform )
Dress White ( Summer Dress Uniform)
For the E-7 and Above:
NWU (Blue Cammy's, Most widely used)
NWU Type 3 (Green, For Seabee's, SPECOPS types)
Coveralls ( Underway uniform, designed to be fire resistant)
Khaki's ( Khaki Top and trousers Equivalent to Class "B", Office environment work)
Dress Blue ( Winter Dress Uniform )
Dress White ( Summer Dress Uniform)
For the E-6 and Below:
NWU (Blue Cammy's, Most widely used) Everyday Work
NWU Type 3 (Green, For Seabee's, SPECOPS types) Everyday Work
Coveralls ( Underway uniform, designed to be fire resistant) Everyday Work Underway
NSU ( Khaki Top, Black trousers Equivalent to Class "B", Office environment work)
Dress Blue ( Winter Dress Uniform )
Dress White ( Summer Dress Uniform)
For the E-7 and Above:
NWU (Blue Cammy's, Most widely used)
NWU Type 3 (Green, For Seabee's, SPECOPS types)
Coveralls ( Underway uniform, designed to be fire resistant)
Khaki's ( Khaki Top and trousers Equivalent to Class "B", Office environment work)
Dress Blue ( Winter Dress Uniform )
Dress White ( Summer Dress Uniform)
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MSG Reid Stone
Do E-7 and above still wear brown low quarters with their Khaki's? My father was 'career' Navy and retired in 1967 in San Diego. So I grew up seeing the dungarees/chambray shirt for E-6 and below and always liked the different uniform for E-7 and above with the brown low quarters.
I joined the Army right out of high school after 3 1/2 yrs of Army JROTC. Army also uses Coveralls for mechanics. Always had Organizational issue uniform items instead of or to enhance the standard uniform. Wore the Vietnam era fatigues until around 75/76 when we switched to permanent press fatigues and were allowed to wear green tshirts in Europe. Then in 82/83 the Woodland BDU's came out for everyday wear. Then in early 2000's we all saw all the services go wild with uniform colors and patterns. When I retired from the reserves last year the ACU's were the fourth duty uniform in the Army I had worn! And there is now the new Army Service Uniform for office and formal wear.
I joined the Army right out of high school after 3 1/2 yrs of Army JROTC. Army also uses Coveralls for mechanics. Always had Organizational issue uniform items instead of or to enhance the standard uniform. Wore the Vietnam era fatigues until around 75/76 when we switched to permanent press fatigues and were allowed to wear green tshirts in Europe. Then in 82/83 the Woodland BDU's came out for everyday wear. Then in early 2000's we all saw all the services go wild with uniform colors and patterns. When I retired from the reserves last year the ACU's were the fourth duty uniform in the Army I had worn! And there is now the new Army Service Uniform for office and formal wear.
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PO2 (Join to see)
MSG Reid Stone The brown low quarters were only worn by the aviation community, the surface fleet guys wore black low quarters with khakis.
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MAJ Ronnie Reams
MSG Reid Stone - Brown shoe Navy the Aviation side, black shoe rest of Navy. Not sure wash khakis are a thing anymore.
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This is why I smack Soldiers upside the head when I hear them complain about the # of different uniforms the Army has.
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Suspended Profile
I knew a pastor who was a retired Navy NCO and he explained that there were duty uniforms, blues & whites were seasonal (blues were winter and whites were summer). Of course there are the variations for officers and enlisted.
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Far too many. If you really want to know here's a link to the Navy Uniform Regs, although I must note that even the regs don't show all the uniforms. It only shows the Navy Working Uniform Type I (the ugly blue camouflage). We now have 3 different camouflage patterns, Types I, II, and III.
http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/uniforms/uniformregulations/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/uniforms/uniformregulations/Pages/default.aspx
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CPO (Join to see)
LTC (Join to see) - Yes 3 DIGIS NWU I (Blue) NWUII (That is for CENTCOM FWD Seabee units like NMCB's working with Marines and Army units and NSW SEALS) If there is a Seabee Detachment with SOTF-A they will wear the Army uniform now so they will not get mixed up with the NSW guy's. When in home port or deployed other than CENTCOM Seabees will wear NWUIII (Green) same with NSW.
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Don't forget to add in the current Marine Corps camouflage for those serving with the Marines. Also add in Marine Corps Alphas and Charlie's for any Corpsman choosing to go Marine regs.
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Our sea bag consists of 5 uniforms, the NWU, coveralls, dress blue, dress white, and the service uniform. We now also have FRV coveralls and there is a dinner dress uniform, which is like a tuxedo. The dress blue uniform is a year-round uniform even when the dress white uniform is prescribed. They're also looking in to getting rid of the female dress blue uniform and have females wear the same dress blue uniform.
I believe we have so many different uniforms because each uniform is tailored to meet the requirements of the various kinds of environments we work in. The NWUs is a working uniform; but not the kind of work that would destroy the uniform. Either one of the coveralls are for jobs that are best suited for mechanics or other similar dirty work since the uniform is cheap, meant to be worn in situations where it may become destroyed. The service uniform is worn in office environments like Admins or secretaries. We all know what our dress uniforms are worn for.
I believe we have so many different uniforms because each uniform is tailored to meet the requirements of the various kinds of environments we work in. The NWUs is a working uniform; but not the kind of work that would destroy the uniform. Either one of the coveralls are for jobs that are best suited for mechanics or other similar dirty work since the uniform is cheap, meant to be worn in situations where it may become destroyed. The service uniform is worn in office environments like Admins or secretaries. We all know what our dress uniforms are worn for.
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PO2 David Hagwood
LTC (Join to see) It is a lot initially; but we do get more than enough to replace them. They last a long time if taken care of. Also, the FEB coveralls are "organizational issue"; so they are replaced through the supply department. Those are the ones I'm wearing in my picture. I would say our only really expensive uniform is our dress blues. You could spend over $100 alone just for the jumper and pants; but that doesn't count for patches, tailoring, neckerchief, cover, dress shoes, etc.
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PO2 (Join to see)
At least you got rid of the black/white (SS/Good Humor) working uniforms. Everyone mocks the blue camouflage, but the BDU style cut has to be better than the old utilities they replaced. They were wear testing them when I got out.
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I think I have 7 different uniforms:
NWUs
NSUs (with optional skirt)
Summer Whites
Dress whites (with optional skirt)
Dress blues
Coveralls (standard, fire resistant, and engineering)
PT
I'm not a fan of the constant uniform changes, but I am lookng forward to the new PT gear.
NWUs
NSUs (with optional skirt)
Summer Whites
Dress whites (with optional skirt)
Dress blues
Coveralls (standard, fire resistant, and engineering)
PT
I'm not a fan of the constant uniform changes, but I am lookng forward to the new PT gear.
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LTC (Join to see)
Denims (dungarees) look too much like prison uniforms
Also they made the Navy the only serbice where E6 and elow had a differert working uniform than the senior ranks . As it stands now Navy is the only service that still differentiates lowest 6 rank in dress uniforms! Although crackerjacks are a huge tradition. They tried to get rid of them in the 70s; they did for awhile and eventually brought them back. I heatd there wss a failed proposal in the 50s to nix them as well!
Also they made the Navy the only serbice where E6 and elow had a differert working uniform than the senior ranks . As it stands now Navy is the only service that still differentiates lowest 6 rank in dress uniforms! Although crackerjacks are a huge tradition. They tried to get rid of them in the 70s; they did for awhile and eventually brought them back. I heatd there wss a failed proposal in the 50s to nix them as well!
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PO3 B Al Eisen
The Crackerjacks came back in 1981. I wore the black Ice Cream suit. I had to be ordered to wear the Whites. They were very bad luck for me.
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